What Is Hamlet's Honor

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The character Hamlet is one of the few characters in the play who defends his honour. Following the death of Hamlet’s father and the unholy marriage of Gertrude to Claudius, Horatio and some guardsmen report the appearance of the ghost of the deceased king. As Hamlet investigates the matter, he meets the ghost who delivers mysterious revelations to the prince. The ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius spitefully murdered him, stole his queen, and the crown of Denmark. In a desperate plea for revenge, the dead king asks Hamlet to avenge him. “If you ever loved your father…Revenge his foul murder” (Shakespeare, pg. 36). Hamlet then eventually avenges his father by killing his Uncle Claudius at the conclusion of the play. A son’s honour is kept by …show more content…

Hamlet’s honour is also defended by acting upon his conscience to do the right thing. Upon learning of his uncle/stepfather’s immoralities, Hamlet sets up a play to “catch the conscious of the king”. During the play, the actors re-enact the events of the deceased king’s death to the court. Filled with guilt, the king’s reaction confirms the ghost’s accusations that Claudius murdered Hamlet’s father. Claudius then goes to a chapel, attempting to confess his sins and crimes to god. As Claudius prays to repent his sins, Hamlet contemplates avenging his father at that very moment. However, at that moment, Hamlet realizes that killing his uncle while praying would send Claudius’ soul to heaven. “A villain killed my father, and for that, I – my father’s only son – send this same villain to heaven. Oh, this is a prize, not a punishment!” (Shakespeare, pg.117). Hamlet determines that in order to effectively avenge his father, he must kill Claudius at a later date. By delaying the death of Claudius so that justice is rightfully served, Hamlet retained his honour in his respect of his

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